Rising eighth grade discus and shot put athlete Samuel King inspired by fellow Pass Christian Pirate, Cory McGee

It’s no secret that Olympian and Florida Gator Cory McGee put the Pass Christian track team on the map when she was in high school, and 14 years later, younger Pass Pirates are still striving to follow in her footsteps. Along with winning State Championships in her time at Pass Christian, Cory McGee was also runner-up in the USATF World Youth Outdoor Championship.

After seeing such great success then and recently seeing her talents on display at the Olympic Qualifiers last week in Eugene, Oregon, Cory is inspiring many local athletes, including rising eighth grader Samuel King.

King may not be competing in the 1500 meter exactly like McGee, but seeing a fellow Pirate like her make big waves, he believes he too can make commotion in the ocean with shot put and discus.

“It’s really cool because it seems like it’s so far away and something you dream about and think about, but once you see somebody that you know that has been there, you can see the way they’ve done things and them in high school and you can kind of visualize it and realize it’s not that far off,” said rising 8th grader Samuel King. “It makes me excited for the future and the things I can do later. I’m just ready!”

Ready or not, here he comes, as King will compete next at the USATF Region Six Championship starting on July fourth. In order to qualify for that meet, he placed first in the USATF Southern Conference Championship with a discus throw of 142 feet two inches, which is the best in the state for his age division of 13/14.

What a future this young man has, and we wish you the best of luck this week at regionals!